Leicester 21-12 Wasps: Sweet sixteen for Staunton

JEREMY STAUNTON got one over his former club as Leicester went ten points clear at the top of the table.

JEREMY STAUNTON got one over his former club as Leicester went ten points clear at the top of the table.

Staunton racked up 16 points, including a try, as the champions made do without their England regulars to crush Wasps.

Toby Flood, Dan Cole, Louis Deacon and Ben Youngs were all rested under orders from Martin Johnson but Tigers proved they can live without them.

The understudies, led by fly-half Staunton, stepped up as Leicester showed that – unlike Northampton – having a few blokes away with England can’t stop them winning.

There was mixed news on the England front. Tom Croft came off the bench to make his first appearance since damaging a shoulder against South Africa in November.

But fellow back rower Joe Worsley lasted only half an hour before going off with a neck injury and Riki Flutey, playing his way back from injury, was anonymous.

Leicester boss Richard Cockerill said: “No other side could cope with the quality we have got missing. It was not a great spectacle but winning is what matters at times like this.”

Wasps are in trouble. They fired director of rugby Tony Hanks in the week and are out of the Heineken Cup.

And their mood was not improved when Dave Walder’s pass was intercepted by Staunton who ran in from 20 yards to regain the lead for the Tigers on 11 minutes.

Wasps head coach Shaun Edwards prides himself on their defence but Steve Mafi, a second row, made mugs of the lot of them by dummying Walder before walking through Richard Haughton’s pathetic excuse for a tackle and touching down.

Edwards confirmed he has no interest in replacing Hanks, saying: “I have no desire to deal with contracts and hiring and firing. I am a coach who likes to be out on the field with the players. Becoming a director of rugby has never been one of my ambitions.”

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